Chapter fifty five: must protect them both

Finnick's POV 

Althea’s words hung in the air like the dense fog that always seemed to fill the Hollow Glen__thick and suffocating. The child’s destiny was bound to ours, she had said. And the choice of his future was running out.

I couldn’t shake the weight of it. We were standing at the edge of something vast and unknown. Everything I had fought for__the life I had shared with Freya, the love we had built, felt fragile now, as if it could shatter at any moment. And the child, the prophecy, the endless mysteries surrounding us… they all pointed toward a future I couldn’t quite grasp.

Freya stood beside me, her hand still clutching mine, her fingers trembling slightly. I could feel the tension coursing through her, the same fear clawing at her as it was at me. But she was trying to keep it together, trying to remain strong, because that was who she was. And that was why I loved her.

Althea’s smile never wavered, but her eyes… they were different now. They weren’t just calculating or knowing they were sad, almost mournful. "The prophecy is not just a tale," she continued, her voice soft, as though explaining something both ancient and inevitable. "It is a binding force, a reality that has been set into motion long before you two were born. The child’s power will change everything."

Freya took a step forward, her gaze never leaving the woman. "What do you mean? How is it connected to us?"

Althea’s eyes flicked toward me, her gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary. I felt a shiver run down my spine, but I kept my stance firm. I had made promises to Freya. I had vowed to stand by her side no matter what. Nothing would change that, even if the world itself threatened to tear us apart.

"You, Finnick, are part of the equation," Althea said, her voice almost too calm. "Your connection to Freya is more than just love. It is the key that will determine the path the child takes. Without that connection, the prophecy cannot be fulfilled, or worse, it will become something else entirely."

I glanced at Freya, the words sinking in like poison. "What does that mean? What happens if the prophecy doesn’t go the way it’s supposed to?"

Althea’s gaze hardened. "Then the child becomes something else. Not a savior, not a destroyer. Something far worse and the world will burn."

The chill of her words spread through me like ice. I wanted to argue to demand more answers but I didn’t know where to start. I wasn’t prepared for this, for the weight of what she was telling us.

"And if we fail?" Freya’s voice was quieter than I expected, her tone sharp with both fear and defiance. "What happens to us if we fail to stop it?"

Althea’s eyes softened but just for a second. "Then you will lose more than you can imagine. The balance between you and the child will be lost, and everything you’ve fought for will be erased. The world will spiral into darkness and the legacy of your bloodline will be wiped away."

I felt the air grow heavier, more suffocating, with every word she spoke. My breath quickened, my heart racing in my chest. This wasn’t just about Freya and me. It was about the entire world__the pack, the wolves, the very future of everything we had ever known.

I reached out for Freya’s hand, pulling her toward me gently. Her gaze was distant, like she was trying to process everything, trying to make sense of it all. I could feel the storm of emotions inside her__fear, anger, confusion, and a quiet, growing resolve.

"What do we do, Finnick?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "How do we stop it?"

I shook my head, unable to give her an answer. I wanted to say something, anything to comfort her,  to reassure her that we could make it through this. But the truth was, I didn’t know. We were standing on the edge of an abyss and I couldn’t see a way forward__just  shadows.

Althea took a step back, her eyes narrowing as if reading our minds. "Time is running out," she said softly. "The child’s power is awakening. You can feel it, can’t you? The way the air shifts when he’s near. The way the stars flicker when he calls out to the world. He is more than just a child. He is a force that cannot be controlled unless you make the right choice."

I couldn’t help but glance at Freya again. She was still so uncertain, so torn. This was her child, her flesh and blood. How could she make a choice like that? How could anyone?

"Is there really no other way?" Freya’s voice was low, the desperation clear. "There has to be another way."

Althea didn’t answer at first. She just stared at us, her expression unreadable. Finally, after what felt like an eternity and she spoke again.

"The prophecy doesn’t give room for alternatives. You must either protect the child and let his destiny unfold, or you must sever the bond and stop him from fulfilling his role. There is no middle ground. There is no other way."

My heart clenched at her words. Protect the child or stop him. It was too much to ask, too much to bear. I turned to Freya, searching her face for any sign of what she was thinking, what she was feeling.

Her eyes met mine, and for the briefest moment, I saw something in them that made my breath catch in my throat. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t doubt. It was love__pure and strong, like a flame burning in the darkness.

"I can’t do this alone," she whispered, her voice breaking through the stillness of the night. "Finnick, I need you. We have to figure this out. Together."

I took a deep breath, pulling her closer, my arms wrapping around her like a lifeline. In that moment, everything else faded away__the prophecy, the dark choices ahead of us, the uncertainty that gnawed at my insides. All that mattered was her. Her and the child. Whatever came, we would face it together.

"We’ll find a way," I whispered back, my voice thick with emotion. "We’ll find a way to protect you both. No matter what it takes."

Althea’s eyes watched us for a long moment, and though her face remained unchanged, there was something in her gaze that made me feel like we were already too late. The moment had passed. The choice had already been made.

"Then you have chosen your path," she said quietly, her tone final. "But remember, there is no turning back from this. The child’s future is now bound to yours, and there will be no easy way out. Whatever you choose, it will change everything."

As the words settled in the air, the ground beneath us trembled once again, louder this time. A deep rumble, like the earth itself was groaning. Althea stepped back, her eyes narrowing. "It’s beginning."